Single use pulse oximeter

ABSTRACT

A single use, self-contained, self-powered disposable oximeter, in the form of a patch or a bandage strip, has mounted thereto a light emitter and a light sensor that together measure at least the SpO2 of the patient. Mounted to an electronics layer of the patch is an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that has electronics integrated thereto that controls the operation of the light emitter and light sensor, and the algorithm for calculating from the data collected by the sensor at least the SpO2 of the patient. Optionally, a display and an alarm may also be mounted or embedded onto the patch for respectively displaying at least the SpO2, and for informing the caregiver/patient that at least the SpO2 is not within an acceptable range, if such is the case. Also provided in the patch is a battery that powers the operation of the ASIC circuit and the emitter, as well as the display and alarm if such optional components are provided on the patch. An attachment mechanism is also provided on the patch. Such mechanism may be in the form of an adhesive layer that can removably attach the patch to the patient in either a transmissive mode or a reflective mode. The patch oximeter may also be equipped with a transceiver, and the appropriate electronics, for wirelessly transceiving information to/from a remote device or another wireless patch oximeter. In place of a self-contained power source, the power for operating a wireless patch oximeter may be retrieved from a remote power source, provided that the patch oximeter is within a given distance from such remote power source.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The instant application is a continuation of application No. 11/259,093filed Oct. 27, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,499,739.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to oximeters and more particularly to asingle use oximeter that is self-contained in a patch, such as forexample a self-adhesive bandage. The present invention further relatesto a disposable patch oximeter having telecommunication capabilities.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Oximeters are well known. Prior to the instant invention, self-containedoximeters come in the form of bulky housings that clip onto the fingerof a patient, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,052. Anotherexample of a self-contained oximeter is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.6,654,621, assigned to the assignee of the instant application. In theseprior art self-contained finger oximeters, electronics are contained inhousings that pivotally grasp the finger of a patient ('052 patent) or ahousing that forms an opening to which the finger of the patient isinserted ('621 patent). Once the oxygen saturation level of the patientis determined, these finger oximeters may be removed from the patientand used on other patients, as these finger oximeters are reusabledevices.

There is also in the market a bandage that has embedded therein thelight emitter and sensor of an oximeter. The electronics for operatingthe light emitter and sensor and to which the bandage is connected islocated remotely from the bandage. This device is disclosed in U.S. Pat.Nos. 6,735,459, 6,721,585, 6,684,091, 6,519,487, 6,343,224, 6,321,100and 6,144,868. Only the bandage is disposable in this device.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention is a self-contained, fully disposable, single usepulse oximeter that activates when the backing paper for its adhesive ispeeled off. All of the components for the oximeter are mounted,integrated, or embedded to a multi-layered patch, or bandage. Inaddition to the light or radiation emitter that outputs a multifrequencylight to the patient, be it the digit or the forehead of the patient,and the sensor or detector that senses the light passing through, orreflecting from, the patient for obtaining data from the patient andthen calculating the oxygen saturation level of blood (SpO2) from theacquired data, the other components for the pulse oximeter are alsomounted to the patch. This includes the oximetry circuitry, an optionaldisplay, an optional alarm possibly in the form of a piezoelectrictransducer (audible) and/or an optical indicator on the display (visual)and the power source. The circuitry may be integrated to an applicationspecific integrated circuit (ASIC) platform or chip, and is embedded toa layer of the bandage that is protected by at least two thin barrierlayers that are immune to moisture and prevent the ASIC from beingexposed to the environment. The power source may be a thin conventionalbutton battery, or a fuel cell battery, that may also be embedded in thesame layer as the ASIC chip. The same layer of the bandage may alsoinclude the optional display and alarm. Alternatively, the display andthe alarm may be formed at a layer of the bandage that is above the ASICplatform layer and beneath a protective membrane layer that may includepreprinted graphics. Membrane switches may also be provided under theprotective membrane to provide the user the capability to activate alimited number of functions, as for example turning on/off the alarmand/or display.

The bandage is a sterile bandage with a peel off sheet covering itslower most adhesive layer that allows the bandage to be removablyattached to the patient. To provide additional sterility, the bandagemay be stored or housed in a sterile package that may have a removablecover.

The light emitter and detector are positioned onto the patch dependingon whether the patch is to be used in a transmissive mode in which thepatch, or bandage, is wrapped around a digit or an earlobe of a patient,or in a reflective mode whereby the patch is adhesively secured to theforehead, or another substantially flat surface, of the patient.

Telecommunication capabilities may also be added to the disposable patchoximeter of the instant invention. For the wireless patch oximeter, atransmitter or transceiver is mounted to, or embedded in, the patch orbandage. The circuitry required for transmitting or transceiving thesignals to/from the patch oximeter are either added or integrated to theASIC chip, or is added as a separate circuit to the electronics layer ofthe patch.

For the patch oximeter of the instant invention, be it the stand alonebandage or the wireless bandage, the most convenient way in which toattach the bandage to the patient is by means of an adhesive layer, asis conventionally done in conventional bandages that are used to covercuts on an individual. However, other attachment mechanisms may also beused for the instant invention patch oximeter or bandage. Suchattachment mechanisms may include for example velcro or snaps that wouldallow the bandage to be securely attached to the patient. Instead of afull layer of adhesive, only portions of the lower most layer of thebandage need to be provided with the adhesive in order to enable thebandage to be removably attachable to a patient.

With respect to the wireless version of the inventive patch oximeter, inaddition to being able to wirelessly communicate with a host monitorsystem where at least the patient's oxygen saturation level of arterialblood (SpO2) is remotely monitored, each patch oximeter may also be ableto communicate with another similar patch oximeter that is attached toanother location on the patient. With at least two oximeters attached tothe patient, a differential of the SpO2 of the patient may be obtained,so that a hypovolemic shock determination could be made on the patient,i.e., whether the patient is just bleeding, on the verge of going intoshock, or in fact is in shock.

Electrodes may also be added to the bandage oximeter of the instantinvention, so that physiological parameters other than the oxygensaturation level of the arterial blood of the patient, for example EEG,ECG, EKG, etc., may be obtained from the patient, at the same time thatthe SpO2 is being obtained from the patient. For measuring additionalphysiological parameters from the patient, additional electronics thatenable the patch oximeter to perform additional measurement functionsare either integrated to the ASIC circuit, or mounted to the electronicslayer of the patch as separate additional circuits.

With respect to the wireless patch oximeter, instead of embedding thepower source onto the patch, a power source remote from the patch, whichwould supply power to the patch when the patch comes within apredetermined or given distance from the remote power source, may beused. For this radio frequency identification (RFId) equippedembodiment, an antenna coil, as well as an RF power receiver, are addedto the oximeter patch, so that power may be retrieved from the remotepower source when the bandage comes within communication distance fromthe remote power source. For this embodiment, and possibly otherwireless embodiments of the inventive patch oximeter, the display and/orthe alarm may not be needed on the patch.

The present invention is therefore a one-piece disposable flexible patchor bandage adaptable to be attachable to a patient for measuring atleast the oxygen saturation level of arterial blood of the patient. Thisdisposable patch has mounted thereto a light emitter and a lightdetector to detect the light from the light emitter that passes throughthe patient so that data relating to at least the SpO2 of the patient isacquired. Also mounted to the disposable patch is an electronic circuitfor effecting operation of the light emitter and the light detector, andto calculate from the data acquired at least the SpO2 of the patient. Anattachment mechanism is also provided at the patch to enable the patchto be removably attached to the patient.

The present invention also relates to an oximeter that comprises a patchthat is adapted to be attached to the patient. The oximeter includes alight emitter and a light detector each mounted to the patch, with thelight detector detecting the light from the light emitter that passesthrough the patient. An electronic circuit also mounted to the patchoperates the light emitter and the light detector, and calculates fromthe data acquired by the light detector at least the oxygen saturationlevel of arterial blood of the patient. Means is provided at the patchto enable the patch to be removably attached to the patient.

The instant invention further relates to a method of making a disposableoximeter that includes the steps of: a) obtaining a flexible patchadaptable to be attached to a patient; b) mounting a light emitter and alight detector to the patch; c) ensuring that the light detector and thelight emitter are arranged on the patch to work cooperatively with eachother so that the light detector would detect the light from the lightemitter that passes through the patient, or reflected back from thepatient, and acquires data relating to at least the oxygen saturationlevel of arterial blood of the patient; d) mounting an electroniccircuit to the patch for effecting operation of the light emitter andthe light detector, and to calculate from the acquired data at least theoxygen saturation level of arterial blood of the patient; and e)providing means to the patch to enable the patch to be removablyattached to the patient.

The wireless one-piece disposable oximeter of the instant invention is aone-piece disposable patch that is adapted to be attached to a patientfor measuring at the oxygen saturation level of arterial blood of thepatient. The wireless patch oximeter includes a light emitter mounted tothe patch, a light detector mounted to the patch to detect the lightfrom the light emitter that passes through the patient, or reflectedback from the patient, so that data relating to at least the oxygensaturation level of the arterial blood of the patient may be acquired,an electronic circuit mounted to the patch for effecting operation ofthe light emitter and the light detector, and to calculate from the dataacquired the oxygen saturation level of arterial blood of the patient, atransceiver mounted to the patch to at least transmit the calculatedoxygen saturation level of arterial blood or data acquired of thepatient to a remote device, and an attachment mechanism at the patchthat enables the patch to be removably attached to the patient.

The oximeter of the instant invention furthermore includes a patchadaptable to be attached to the patient, a light emitter and a lightdetector each mounted to the patch, an electronic circuit mounted to thepatch for effecting operation of the light emitter and the lightdetector, and to calculate from the data acquired by the light detectordue to the light from the light emitter that passes the patient itsenses, at least the oxygen saturation level of the arterial blood ofthe patient, a transceiver mounted to the patch to enable the patch toat least transmit the signal representing the oxygen saturation level ofarterial blood of the patient or the data acquired by the light detectorto a remote device, and means provided at the patch to enable the patchto be removably attached to the patient.

The present invention also relates to a method of determining whether apatient is in hypovolemic shock that includes the steps of: a) attachingat least two oximeters to different areas of the patient, with each ofthe oximeters being a patch adaptable to be attached to the patient.Each of the patch oximeters has mounted thereto a light emitter, a lightdetector, an electronic circuit for operating the light emitter andlight detector and to calculate from the data acquired by the lightdetector of light from the light emitter that passes through the patientat least the oxygen saturation level of arterial blood of the patient, atransceiver that allows the patch to communicate the calculated oxygensaturation level of arterial blood of the patient to a remote device orto another oximeter attached to the patient, and means that enables thepatch to be removably attached to the patient; b) determining thedifference between the respective oxygen saturation levels of blood of apatient measured by each of the oximeters attached to the patient; andc) comparing the determined difference with a predetermined condition todecide whether the patient is in shock.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The instant invention will become apparent and will best be understoodby reference to the following description of the invention taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the oximeter patch or bandage of theinstant invention, with the light emitter and the light detector beingpositioned on the patch to operate in a transmissive mode to measure theoxygen saturation level of arterial blood of the patient when the patchis wrapped around a digit or an earlobe of the patient;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the patch oximeter of the instant inventionin which the orientation of the light detector and light emitter asmounted to the patch is such that the oximeter is adaptable to operatein a reflective mode, with the patch being adhesively attached to theforehead, or another substantially flat surface, of the patient;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the patch oximeter of the instant inventionin which a transmitter or transceiver, and appropriate electronics foroperating the same, are added to the patch to enable the patch oximeterto wirelessly communicate with a remote device;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a wireless patch oximeter with no powersource provided on the patch, but with an antenna and a coil added tothe patch to retrieve and utilize power provided from a remote powersource;

FIG. 5 is a different embodiment of the FIG. 4 wireless patch oximeterin which the display and alarm, in addition to their respective drivers,are removed from the patch;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a patch oximeter that has at least twoelectrodes added to the patch to enable the patch oximeter to obtainfrom the patient at least one other physiological parameter in additionto the SpO2, which is obtained in a transmissive mode;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a patch oximeter that is the same asthat shown in FIG. 6, but with the light emitter and the light detectororiented to operate in a reflective mode;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a wireless patch oximeterconfigured with electrodes to obtain additional physiological parametersof the patient;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a wireless patch oximeter with electrodesmounted to the patch that is powered by a remote power source;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of the patch oximeter of FIG. 9, but with thedisplay and alarms removed;

FIG. 11 is an illustrated top view of an exemplar patch oximeter of theinstant invention;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the different layers of the patchor bandage strip of the patch oximeter of the instant invention;

FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplar sterile package of the disposableoximeter of the instant invention, and the removal of the oximeter fromthe sterile package;

FIG. 14 is a simplified diagram of a patch oximeter of the instantinvention communicating with a remote monitoring system;

FIG. 15 is a simplified drawing showing a plurality of patch oximetersof the instant invention attached to different areas of a patient toprovide a differential measurement of the SpO2 or perfusion of thepatient, which may be indicative of whether the patient is in shock, toa remote monitor system; and

FIG. 16 is a flow diagram illustrating the processes of determiningwhether the patient shown in FIG. 15 is in shock.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIG. 1, a flexible patch 2, in the form of a bandageor strip, has mounted thereto a light or radiation emitter 4 and aphotodetector or sensor 6. As is well known, light emitter 4 may be madeup of a number of LEDs each outputting a light at a different frequency,so that emitter 4 in essence outputs a multifrequency light to a part ofthe patient, be that part a digit, the bridge of the nose, an earlobe,the forehead or some other body part of the patient. Photodetector 6then senses or detects the light that passes through the patient as dataobtained from the patient.

Also mounted onto patch 2 is an application specific integrated circuit(ASIC) 8, possibly in the form of a flexible circuit platform or chip,in which the various electronic components for controlling emitter 4 andsensor 6, as well as for calculating from the data collected or acquiredby sensor 6 at least the oxygen saturation level of arterial blood(SpO2) and the heart rate of the patient. As shown in FIG. 1, inaccordance with the conventional processes for manufacturing an ASICchip, representative electronic components required for the operation ofa pulse oximeter are formed or integrated into the ASIC circuit 8. Theseinclude a processor 10, a memory 12, an electronic circuit 14specifically designed for performing the oximetry functions, an emitteror detector interface circuit 16, a sensor interface circuit 18, adisplay driver 20 and an alarm driver 22. Other electronics that mayalso be integrated to the ASIC circuit 8 are not shown for the sake ofsimplicity. For the oximeter embodiments discussed herein, ASIC circuit8 is presumed to be in the form of a thin chip that may be flexibleand/or is mounted or embedded in a particular layer of the patch, aswill be discussed in more detail, infra.

The algorithm for performing the SpO2 analysis may be that described inU.S. Pat. No. 5,558,096, assigned to the assignee of the instantinvention. The disclosure of the '096 patent is incorporated byreference herein. Other algorithms or software that may be needed foreffecting the operation of emitter 4 and sensor 6 in a conventional waymay also be stored in memory 12. Moreover, the software for operatingother components or electronics that are to be discussed hereinbelow mayalso be stored in memory 12.

For the oximeter shown in FIG. 1, also mounted to the patch 2 is adisplay 24, an alarm 26, and a power source in the form of a battery 28.Display 24 may be a thin membrane LCD display while alarm 26 may be apiezoelectric transducer that conceivably could be integrated as aseparate electronic component mounted on patch 2. Battery 28, for theinstant invention oximeter, may be a conventional thin plate battery ora fuel cell battery that self activates when the patch is removed fromits sterile packaging. A chemical light source that also self activateswhen the patch is removed from its sterile package, or having itsadhesive backing strip removed, may be used as an illumination sourcefor display 24. Using a chemical illumination source would extend thebattery life. Self activation would eliminate the need for an “on”switch. Further, the illumination source could be automated to senseambient lighting conditions to determine the need for the illuminationsource, thereby conserving battery power when self-illumination is notrequired. For the instant invention, the duration of the chemical lightmay be adjusted to mirror the life of the battery.

For illustration purposes, also provided at patch 2 are attachedportions 30 and 32. Even though shown as separate portions, it should benoted that such attached portions may in fact be an adhesive layer atthe face of the patch that comes into contact with the patient foradhesively attaching the patch to the patient. Attach portions 30 and 32may also be made of velcro, so that the patch, in the form a bandage,may be wrapped around a digit or an earlobe of the patient. Other typesof attach mechanisms such as clasps or snaps may also be used. This isparticularly true insofar as emitter 4 and sensor 6, as shown in theFIG. 1 embodiment, are arranged or oriented to work cooperatively in atransmissive mode when the patch oximeter is wrapped around the digit,earlobe or bridge of the nose of the patient. A more detailed discussionof the various layers of the oximeter patch will be given below withrespect to the discussion of FIG. 12.

FIG. 2 has the same components as those shown in FIG. 1. The samecomponents in FIG. 2, as well as those same components in the otherfigures to be discussed, are accordingly labeled the same. The onedifference between the patch oximeter shown in FIG. 2 from that shown inFIG. 1 is the placement of the emitter 4 and sensor 6 on the patch. Asshown, emitter 4 and sensor 6 are mounted in defined proximity to eachother on the patch, so as to enable the patch oximeter to measure theSpO2 of the patient reflectively. Thus, the reflective mode patchoximeter of FIG. 2 is best adapted to attach to the forehead, or anothersubstantially flat skin surface, of the patient.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the instant invention in which, inaddition to having all of the components of the previously discussedembodiments, the patch oximeter further has electronic componentsmounted thereto that enable it to operate as a wireless patch oximeter.In particular, a transmitter or transceiver 34 is added to theelectronics layer of the patch, and an antenna 36 coupled to transceiver34 provides the means by which signals may be transmitted and/ortransceived to or from the patch oximeter. To provide additionalfunctionalities that are required for the operation of the transceiver34, electronics in the form of a transmission circuit 38 is added to theelectronics layer of the patch, either as a separate circuit orintegrated to the ASIC circuit 8. The functionalities of the transceiver34 and its associate transmission circuit 38 may be gleaned fromassignee's U.S. Pat. No. 6,731,962, the disclosure of which beingincorporated by reference herein.

As the patch oximeter is equipped with a transceiver 34, not only couldthe patch oximeter transmit information to a remote device, it couldlikewise receive information from the remote device. For example thepatch oximeter may ordinarily be in a sleep mode, and may be awakened bya signal from the remote device that awakens the patch oximeter to beginits monitoring or measurement. By way of another example, the lasttransmission of the patch oximeter may not have been correctly receivedby the remote device and hence the remote device could request the patchoximeter to resend the data.

Even though the light emitter 4 and sensor 6 of the wireless patchoximeter embodiment are shown to be arranged for operating in thetransmissive mode, it should be appreciated that the wireless patchoximeter could likewise work in the reflective mode by simplyrearranging the respective positions of emitter 4 and sensor 6 as shownper the FIG. 2 embodiment.

With the wireless functionalities, the patch oximeter of FIG. 3 iscapable of at least transmitting the calculated SpO2 of the patient to aremote device, for example a monitor system such as the assignee's VitalSign monitor equipped with the appropriate telecommunication transceiversuch as for example an RF transmitter with its RF link, for displayingand/or recording the patient's SpO2 at the remote device. Withtransceiver 34 being integrated to the patch oximeter, the informationor data acquired by sensor 6, or by the to be discussed electrodes addedto the patch oximeter, may be transmitted to a similar wireless patchoximeter, so that a mini telecommunication network may be establishedamong a plurality of wireless patch oximeters to enable the medicalpersonnel to closely monitor the different physiological parameters ofthe patient. Such monitoring will be discussed in more detail, infra,with respect to FIG. 15.

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the instant invention in whichthe battery power source has been removed from the patch oximeter.Instead, power for the patch oximeter is obtained remotely by theincorporation of an antenna 40 and a coil 42. Antenna 40 is optional, ascoil 42 is the component that allows the patch oximeter to receive powerfrom a remote power source. The electronics that may be required toprovide the functionalities to retrieve power remotely is added to thepatch by way of a remote power circuit 44. The operation of the remotepower grab is similar to the conventional RFID (radio frequencyidentification) technology that is being used for identifying goods. Oneexample of the use of such RFID technology is in the miniaturizedelectronic circuit labels that are placed on items, for example, thatwould identify the items when they are sold. If perchance the customerhad not paid for an item, when the item is taken past the cash registeror out the store, an alarm is triggered. The electronic circuit thatoperates to trigger the alarm gets its power from a remote power source.The same scenario may be used with the FIG. 4 wireless patch oximeter,with the proviso that the power required for operating the patchoximeter embodiment such as that shown in FIG. 4 be increased by atleast two fold, so that a sufficient level of power is provided for theoperation of emitter 4.

For the FIG. 4 embodiment, even though display 24 and alarm 26 remain,it should be appreciated that those components may not necessarily beneeded, especially when there is no need for the patient to look at thedisplay, as for example when the patient wears the patch oximeterbecause she is in a sleep study involving for example sleep apnea,whereby the readings from the patient are displayed remotely on a remotemonitor. A patch oximeter that does not include the display and alarmcomponents, and their respective drivers, is shown in FIG. 5. As wasmentioned previously, for all of the disclosed embodiments, it isassumed that the patch oximeter is adapted to work in both thetransmissive mode and the reflective mode, irrespective of how theemitter 4 and sensor 6 are shown to be positioned in the figures.

Another aspect of the instant invention is illustrated by the blockdiagram of the strip or bandage shown in FIG. 6. As shown, thedisposable patch oximeter of FIG. 6 has added thereto two electrodes 45and 46, and their respective interface circuits 45 a and 44 b, which maybe integrated to the ASIC circuit 8, or as additional electronicsmounted separately to the electronics layer of the patch 2. Additionalelectronics represented by electrode circuit 48 may also be integratedto the ASIC circuit 8, or be mounted as an individual component on theelectronics layer of the patch 2. In either event, electrodes 45 and 46are conventional bioelectric electrodes (without limitation for examplesilver-silver chloride, possibly pre-jelled electrodes) that, whenpositioned at a distance from each other (or formed concentrically), areable to measure additional physiological parameters of the patient, suchas for example EKG, ECG, etc. EKG and ECG are well known physiologicalparameters associated with the electrical stimuli of the heart. Theaddition of electrodes to measure bioelectric events permits thedetermination of time differences between the ECG QRS complex and thepatient's plethysmograph waveform which has been shown to correlatewithnon-invasive blood pressure (NIBP).

In addition to the above mentioned physiological parameters that involvethe pulse, the heart rate and the SpO2 of the patient, an electrode orsensor in the form of a temperature probe may also be added to thepatch, along with the appropriate electronics, to measure thetemperature of the patient. Thus, with the patch oximeter of FIG. 6, inaddition to SpO2 and heart rate, other types of physiological parameterssuch as temperature, blood pressure, in the form of a non-invasive bloodpressure (NIBP) could be continuously monitored, or obtained.

FIG. 7 shows in block diagram format the possible different placementsof electrodes 45 and 46, as well as the placement of emitter 4 andsensor 6 on the patch, in the event that the SpO2 to be obtained fromthe patient needs to be done on the patient's forehead, or anothersubstantially flat surface of the patient, via the reflective mode.

FIG. 8 shows a wireless patch oximeter with ECG electrodes 45 and 46,and the electrode circuit 48 for acquiring the data measured by theelectrodes. For the FIG. 8 embodiment, in addition to the SpO2 and datacollected by sensor 6 for calculating at least the SpO2, data relatingto other physiological parameters of the patient, as collected byelectrodes 45 and 46, may likewise be transmitted to a remote device,such as the previously mentioned Vital Signs monitor for display and/orrecording. It should be appreciated that even though separatetelecommunications circuit 38 and electrode circuit 48 are shown, thosecircuits may in fact be incorporated into the main electronic circuit 14of the ASIC circuit 8 mounted to the electronics layer of patch 2.

FIG. 9 illustrates in block diagram format the embodiment of thewireless patch oximeter of the instant invention where SpO2, heart rateand other physiological parameters may be measured from the patient. TheFIG. 9 embodiment is similar to the FIG. 4 embodiment in that the powerfor the operation of the patch oximeter is retrieved from a remote powersource when the patch oximeter comes within a given distance from theremote power source. Thus, for the patch oximeter of FIG. 9, as well asfor the remote power access patch oximeters described in FIGS. 4 and 5,the patch oximeter attached to the patient may not be activated untilthe patient gets within a given distance from the remote power source,in which case the electronic circuit, for example circuit 14, wouldawake to activate the remaining electronic circuits to perform theirrespective functions, and power up emitter 4. If sufficient power isaccessed from the remote power source, the patient may also be able toview, per display 24, her SpO2 and heart rate, as well as the ECG andpossibly a strength bar graph. Membrane switches, not shown, may beprovided on the top layer of the patch to activate/deactivate alarm 26,and/or display 24.

FIG. 10 shows the patch oximeter of FIG. 9 but without any display oralarm. Such wireless oximeter/electrode combination patch may be usedwhere there is no need for the patient to view any readings or hear anyalarms, as for example in the above-discussed sleep apnea study wherethe patient is asleep while measurement of the various physiologicalparameters of the patient takes place.

FIG. 11 is an illustration of the patch oximeter of the instantinvention in the form of a bandage. As shown, display 24 of the bandageshows both the heart rate and the SpO2 of the patient.

FIG. 12 shows in a cross-sectional view the different layers of thepatch of the oximeter of the instant invention. It should be appreciatethat the various layers shown in FIG. 2 are not drawn to scale or inproportion to their respective thicknesses. As shown, starting with thepeel off sheet 50, the layer 52 that comes into contact with the patientis an adhesive layer. As was noted earlier, such adhesive layer may infact be replaced by appropriate attachment mechanisms such as velcro andsnaps. In any event, adhesive layer 52 is prevented from being exposedto the environment by the peel off sheet or paper 50. Above adhesivelayer 52 is a foam layer 54 that provides comfort to the patient andalso compensates for movements of the patient. On top of foam layer 54is a barrier layer 56, which may be a plastic sheet or a polyimide sheetthat acts as a moisture resistant and electrically insulation layer.

Protected by barrier layer 56 on its lower side and another barrierlayer 58 on its upper side is the electronics layer 60 whereby thevarious electronic components including the ASIC circuit and the othercircuits mentioned previously are embedded or mounted. The electricalinterconnections among the various components and/or the ASIC circuitwith emitter 4 and sensor 6 are represented by the electronics layer 60being in direct contact therewith. Emitter 4 and sensor 6 each are shownto be extending from electronics layer 60 to be flush with, or slightlyabove, adhesive layer 52. The optional electrodes 44 and 46 likewise areshown to extend from electronics layer 60 to adhesive layer 52. Althoughshown as being flush with adhesive layer 52, to operate moreefficiently, the surfaces of the electrodes may in fact extend slightlybeyond adhesive layer 52 and may be pre-gelled. In any event, each ofthe contact surfaces of emitter 4, sensor 6 and electrodes 44, 46 areprotected by peel off sheet 50.

As noted above, the electronics layer is sandwiched by two protectivebarrier layers 56 and 58. As shown in FIG. 12, display 24 extends fromelectronics layer 60 to be flush with the top surface with barrier layer58. Alternatively, display 24 may be mounted within electronics layer60, as barrier layer 58, similar to barrier layer 56, may be a clearplastic moisture resistant and electrically insulating sheet that allowsthe display to be seen from the top of the patch. Also shown areoptional switches 61 that may be a part of barrier layer 58 or beembedded in electronics layer 60. Barrier layer 58 is topped with aprotective membrane layer 62 that may have graphics printed thereon andappropriate clear window areas, so that display 24 may be viewed, pershown in FIG. 11. With the appropriate graphics printed on protectivemembrane layer 62, if optional switches 61 are provided, the patient canreadily determine which switch to push in order to activate/deactivatethe operation of those components to which the caregiver/patient isallowed to control, for example optional display 24 and/or alarm 26,which are not shown in the FIG. 12 patch layers.

FIG. 13 illustrates the packaging of the patch oximeter of the instantinvention. Patch 2 may be housed or stored in a package 63 that includesa clear top wrap 64 and a bottom wrap 66. Bottom wrap 66 may be the peeloff sheet 50 shown in FIG. 12 which may have the additional function ofactivating battery 28 when peeled off, if battery 28 is a fuel cell typebattery that utilizes the zinc/air chemistry to operate. Such battery,when stored in air tight environment, is inactive. But as soon as thesheet, for example 50, is peeled off from the patch, the battery becomesactivated due to its exposure to air. This feature is advantageous inthat it allows the patch oximeter to be stored for an extended length oftime. The battery should have sufficient power to operate the oximeterfor an appropriate length of time, for example 8-10 hours. Battery 28may also be a photovoltaic type battery in which power is supplied whenthe battery is exposed to light. When a photovoltaic battery is used,the placement of the battery on the patch is such that light is allowedto reach the photovoltaic cell via a clear window provided at themembrane layer 62. The peeling off of sheet 50 from the adhesive layermay also be used to activate the above-mentioned chemical light source,which presumably begins its chemical reaction when exposed to air orlight.

FIG. 14 illustrates the telecommunication functionalities of thewireless embodiment of the patch oximeter of the instant invention.Patch oximeter 2 retrieves power from a remote power source 68 when itis within a given distance therefrom (for the non-self powered wirelesspatch oximeter), and then transmits data collected from the patientand/or the calculated SpO2 to the monitor system 70 via the latter'sreceiver 72. The operation of the transmission of the data from patchoximeter 2 to the monitor system is similar to that given in the aboveincorporated by reference '962 patent, which discloses the use of an RFlink for transmitting data packets from the oximeter to the monitorsystem 70, and the unpacking of the packets by the monitor system 70.

FIG. 15 illustrates the use of a plurality of patch oximeters of theinstant invention, in their wireless form, for transmitting informationto a remote device for informing the medical personnel whether thepatient is in shock. As shown, a patch oximeter 2 is attached to theforehead of patient 74. Another patch oximeter 2′ is attached to anextremity, for example a finger digit of the patient. As each of thepatch oximeters measures the SpO2 of the patient at their respectivelocations, the respective rates of blood perfusion at the forehead andat the extremity of the patient are also measured and the differentialbetween the measurements is determined. This is important insofar aswhen a person goes into shock, for example hypovolemic shock, theextremities of the patient would tend to shut down the blood perfusionbefore the brain. Thus, by comparing the difference in the perfusionmeasurements between an extremity and the forehead of the patient, adetermination could be made on whether the patient is about to go intoshock, or is in shock due to potential bleeding. With the patch oximeterof the instant invention, if appropriate electrodes which are adaptableto measure the temperature or other physiological parameters of thepatient are added, septic or systolic shock may also be measured. As isknown, perfusion is conventionally represented by an index, calculatedas the ratio of the peak-to-peak red transmission signal to thepeak-to-peak infrared transmission signal. See for example U.S. patentpublication 2003/0236452, the disclosure of which being incorporated byreference herein.

A flow diagram illustrating the method of determining whether a patientis in shock or at the onset of shock is provided in the flow chart ofFIG. 16. Specifically, the process of determining shock in the patientbegins with the attachment of a plurality of the patch oximeters of theinstant invention to the patient, per step 76. Perfusion measurementsare obtained from the oximeter per step 78. A determination is made, perstep 80, on whether there is a perfusion differential between themeasurements at for instance the forehead and an extremity of thepatient. If there is a differential, such differential is compared witha predetermined condition range, for example a predefined 1-10, that hasbeen pre-calibrated to determine whether the patient is okay, at theonset of shock, or already in shock. For the exemplar 1-10 scale, assumethat 1-4 correspond to normal, 5-8 correspond to possible onset and 9-10correspond to the patient being in shock. The comparison of the measuredperfusion differential with the predetermined scale takes place indecisional steps 84 and 86. If the measured perfusion differential iswithin the shock range, then a shock status is sent out per step 88. Onthe other hand, if the measured differential is within the range thatthe patient is at the onset of shock, such on the verge status is sentout per step 90. If the patient appears to be stable and not in shock,the process returns to the monitor phase whereby the differences in themeasurements between the at least two areas of the patient where thepatch oximeters of the instant invention are attached are continuouslymonitored and calculated. As with the different patch oximeterembodiments of the instant invention, the patch oximeters, once used,are disposed of.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a multi-layer flexiblepatch adapted to be attached to a patient, at least one light emitterand at least one light detector each integrally mounted to said patch,said one light detector configured to detect the light from said onelight emitter passing through or reflected from the patient andacquiring therefrom data relating to at least the oxygen saturationlevel of blood of the patient, an electronic circuit mounted to anelectronics layer of said patch for effecting operation of said onelight emitter and said one light detector, a transceiver mounted to saidpatch to enable said patch to at least transmit a signal representativeof the acquired data of the patient, attachment means provided at saidpatch to enable said patch to be removably attached to the patient, theelectronics layer sandwiched between at least two protective layers; anda remote device in wireless communication with said patch.
 2. System ofclaim 1, wherein said remote device comprises a monitor for receivingthe signal from said patch.
 3. System of claim 1, wherein saidelectronic circuit of said patch calculates from the acquired data atleast the oxygen saturation level of blood of the patient, the oxygensaturation level of blood being sent as the signal to said remotedevice.
 4. System of claim 1, wherein said patch is adapted to receiveinformation from said remote device.
 5. System of claim 1, wherein saidremote device comprises an other multi-layer patch having at least onelight emitter and at least one light detector each mounted to said otherpatch, an electronic circuit mounted to an electronics layer of saidother patch, and a transceiver mounted to said other patch forcommunicating with said patch.
 6. System of claim 1, further comprisinga plurality of other multi-layer patches each having at least one lightemitter and at least one light detector mounted thereto, an electroniccircuit mounted to an electronics layer of each of said other patches,and a transceiver mounted to each of said other patches forcommunicating with said patch and others of said other patches. 7.System of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of other multi-layerpatches each having at least one light emitter and at least one lightdetector mounted thereto, an electronic circuit mounted to anelectronics layer of each of said other patches, and a transceivermounted to each of said other patches, wherein said patch and said otherpatches all transmit information to said remote device.
 8. System ofclaim 1, wherein said patch is adapted to receive power from a remotepower source when it is within a given distance from said remote powersource.
 9. System of claim 1, wherein said patch comprises a powersource mounted thereon for supplying power to said electronic circuit,said transceiver and said one light emitter.
 10. A system, comprising: aplurality of multi-layer flexible patches each adapted to be attached toa patient, each of said patches having integrally mounted thereto atleast one light emitter and at least one light detector, the one lightdetector configured to detect the light from the one light emitterpassing through or reflected from the patient and acquiring therefromdata relating to at least the oxygen saturation level of blood of thepatient, an electronic circuit mounted to an electronics layersandwiched by at least two protective layers for effecting operation ofthe one light emitter and the one light detector, a transceiver toenable said each patch to at least transmit a signal representative ofthe acquired data of the patient, and attachment means to enable saideach patch to be removably attached to the patient; and a remote devicein wireless communication with said plurality of patches.
 11. System ofclaim 10, wherein said remote device comprises a monitor for receivingthe signals from said plurality of patches.
 12. System of claim 10,wherein said plurality of patches each are adapted to receiveinformation from said remote device.
 13. System of claim 10, whereinsaid plurality of patches each are adapted to communicate with at leastanother one of said plurality of patches.
 14. System of claim 10,wherein said plurality of patches each are adapted to retrieve powerfrom a remote power source when said each patch is within a givendistance from said remote power source.
 15. System of claim 10, whereinsaid plurality of patches each comprise a power source mounted thereonfor supplying power to its electronic circuit, transceiver and at leastone light emitter.
 16. In combination, a plurality of multi-layerflexible patches and at least one remote device, each of said pluralityof patches adapted to be attached to a patient, each of said patcheshaving integrally mounted thereto at least one light emitter and atleast one light detector for acquiring data relating to at least theoxygen saturation level of blood of the patient, an electronic circuitmounted to an electronics layer sandwiched by at least two protectivelayers for at least effecting operation of the one light emitter and theone light detector, a transceiver to at least transmit the acquired dataof the patient to said remote device, and attachment means to enablesaid each patch to be removably attached to the patient.
 17. Combinationof claim 16, wherein said remote device comprises a monitor forreceiving data from said plurality of patches.
 18. Combination of claim16, wherein said plurality of patches each are adapted to communicatewith at least another one of said plurality of patches.
 19. Combinationof claim 16, wherein said plurality of patches each are adapted toretrieve power from a remote power source when said each patch is withina given distance from said remote power source.
 20. Combination of claim16, wherein said plurality of patches each comprise a power sourcemounted thereon for supplying power to its electronic circuit,transceiver and at least one light emitter.